NOVEL NEXT Chapter 50: Ambush
Adam walked away from Professor Veyra's office. It was around 4 p.m. when he checked his mana-phone. After glancing through his notifications, he saw where Duke and Selena were.
He walked through the halls for a few minutes until he found them near their classroom, leaning against the wall and talking.
"Hey, guys," Adam called out to them.
Selena and Duke turned toward him, waving and gesturing for him to come over.
"So, did you finish your talk with Professor Veyra?" Selena asked.
Adam gave a slight nod as he walked closer.
"So, what did she call you out for?" Duke asked.
I shouldn't tell them about the being-watched part yet. It might cause unnecessary panic, Adam thought to himself.
"Oh, nothing major. She just wanted to talk about her guild since I joined it recently," Adam replied.
Both of them froze, surprised by what they'd just heard.
"You're in a guild?" Selena asked, visibly shocked.
"Yeah, she offered, and I accepted," Adam said casually.
"Damn, never thought you'd join a guild," Duke remarked.
"Well, I need resources and support. Being in one of the Top 5 Guilds has its perks," Adam replied with a smirk.
"Hm, that's true. Oh, and we'll see my sister this weekend, so you should get ready," Selena reminded him.
Adam nodded, remembering his promise to go with them to meet the princess. It would be a good chance to catch up.
"Okay, guys, I need to go. I've got something to do. I'll catch you later," Adam said as he started to leave.
"Sure, see ya, Adam," Selena said, watching him walk away.
Adam waved back before disappearing down the corridor.
"I'll use this pill to break through to C-rank. Since I'm being watched, I need to prepare," Adam muttered to himself.
It was Friday — the last day of classes — and the weekend was about to begin, meaning students were free to leave the academy.
They could leave anytime for personal reasons, but Adam hadn't stepped outside since the entrance exams.
I could try to break through in the training area… but I want some fresh air, he thought as he walked out the academy doors.
---
Meanwhile, at the Dragonis Estate
Deep within a grand chamber of the Dragonis estate, a woman with flowing green hair was lounging lazily, smoking from an ornate pipe while several maids and servants attended to her.
One was polishing and trimming her nails, another massaged her feet, while others fed her grapes and poured fine red wine into her glass.
This was Christine von Dragonis, wife of Duke Dragonis and mother to Luke, Sidney, and Sam.
A daughter of a high-ranking marquis, she wielded considerable influence in noble society — and was known for doting excessively on her youngest son.
Though calm on the surface, inwardly she was seething. She had gained high standing for giving birth to two prodigies whose names were already known across the continent. She had expected the same for her third child — a final mark of her prestige — but that dream had shattered.
Her son, Sam, had been humiliated and disqualified from the entrance exam. To make matters worse, he was eliminated in the mock exam the moment it began — all because of one person.
That person had always been a thorn in her side while living in the Dragonis estate. She had been ecstatic when he was exiled, believing she'd never have to see or hear of him again.
But fate had other plans.
Not only had he been accepted into the most prestigious academy on the continent, but he had also humiliated her son and gotten him disqualified.
Everyone familiar with Christine's temperament knew she wouldn't let such an insult slide — and she didn't.
She had sent people to keep tabs on Adam. Since they couldn't enter the academy without risking exposure, she had ordered them to act only once he left its protection.
As she sat sipping her wine, a maid rushed forward with a mana-phone, bowing.
Christine glanced at the screen. A single message appeared:
(Target seen outside the academy. Proceed with the mission?)
She stared at the message for a few seconds, then replied coldly:
(Proceed. Make sure to leave no trace.)
The message was marked as read. That was all the confirmation she needed.
Handing the phone back, Christine leaned back in her chair, a sinister smile curling on her lips.
"You've been lucky so far, Adam… but today, your luck ends."
---
Adam walked through a pristine forest that shimmered beneath the moonlight. He was calm and relaxed, enjoying the quiet evening breeze — until a flurry of system notifications appeared before his eyes.
[Ding!!]
[Defeated 5 Low D-Rank Monsters +1,000 XP]
[Defeated 1 Peak D-Rank Monster +1,500 XP]
[Defeated 1 Low C-Rank Monster +2,000 XP]
[Hidden Mission Completed: Defeat the Boss – Hellfire Cerberus]
[Rewards: +3,000 XP, +50 Stats]
[Mission Completed: Clear the Dungeon]
[Rewards: +2,500 XP, +50 Stats]
[Ding!]
[Level 10 Achieved!]
[System Functions Partially Released]
[Bloodline Function Unlocked!]
[System Shop Unlocked!]
A barrage of messages filled his mind as the rewards settled in.
"Finally! Level 10… and new system functions unlocked. Status!"
---
STATUS SCREEN
Host: Adam
Race: Dragon
Age: 15
Level: 10 [0/4,000]
Class: Dragon Sovereign
Rank: D+
Talent: EX
Bloodline: N/A
Physique: Dragon God Physique
Affinity: Space, Ice
Title: Bastard Son, Dragon Sovereign
HP: 2,500 / 2,500
MP: 2,500 / 2,500
[STATS]
Strength: 200 > 250
Speed: 200 > 250
Stamina: 200 > 250
Constitution: 200 > 250
Intelligence: 200 > 250
Free Stat Points: 240
SP: 0
[CLASS SKILLS]
Dragon Sovereign's Swordsmanship (D/EX Rank, Passive)
Dragon Sovereign's Mana Cultivation (S Rank, 1st of Four Pieces)
[SYSTEM SHOP]
[SKILLS]
Dragonis Swordsmanship (D Rank, Passive)
Regeneration (S Rank, Passive)
Dragon Transformation (S Rank, Active)
Dragon Roar (S Rank, Active)
Dragon Breath (A Rank, Active)
Partial Transformation (A Rank, Active)
Sovereign's Aura (S Rank, Passive/Active)
Space Slash (D Rank, Active)
Collapse (S Rank, Active)
[INVENTORY]
Sword of Bahamut (D Rank, Growth Type Weapon)
Dragon Sovereign Armor (D Rank, Growth Type Armor)
---
"I unlocked a bloodline slot and a system shop," Adam said, grinning. "System, give me the details of the shop."
[System Shop: A system function that allows the host to purchase a wide range of items using System Points (SP). Items include weapons, armor, cultivation manuals, potions, elemental essences, and bloodline potions.]
[SP: Points used for purchases in the system shop. Earned by completing missions and defeating monsters.]
Adam nodded, satisfied. The ability to buy potions that enhanced cultivation speed would be a massive advantage.
But before he could explore the shop, a sudden urgent notification flashed before him.
[Ding!]
[Emergency Mission: Survive the Assassins]
[Rewards: ???]
"Assassins!?" Adam muttered, his expression hardening as the air around him shifted.
Adam's dragonic instincts suddenly screamed.
Then, he heard it — a faint sound that broke the silence.
The soft crunch of a branch, right behind him.
He reacted instantly. Adam twisted his body, stepping back just as a blade sliced through the air, narrowly missing his neck.
It was a dagger that shimmered faintly, its edge dripping with a viscous purple-black liquid.
Poison.
Adam's body trembled as the toxin seeped into his system. He froze, feeling his strength begin to fade away.
The assassin landed gracefully on the ground, dressed in black from head to toe. His face was covered by a mask, and faint runes glowed across his gloves.
"He dodged— tch!" the assassin hissed, his voice distorted.
Adam's eyes narrowed, mana flaring faintly around him.
"Assassins, huh? Who the hell sent you?"
As expected, there was no answer—only action.
More figures dropped from the treetops, landing silently in perfect coordination. Adam immediately realized he was surrounded.
There were five assassins in total.
They moved like trained predators, forming a half-circle around him and cutting off all escape routes.
Two of them stepped forward, the air distorting faintly around their daggers—wind affinity. Their movements were fast and fluid, small gusts swirling around them as they advanced.
On the opposite side, two others placed their hands on the ground, making the earth tremble—earth affinity.
The last one, clearly the leader, crackled with lightning. Electric arcs danced across his body as he drew his blade.
Adam's gaze swept across them. His dragonic eyes flared under the moonlight as his mana surged.
"Five of you," he muttered coldly. "All of you… peak C-rank. Confident, aren't you?"
One of the wind users smirked as he stepped forward. "You're alone—just a peak D-rank. Easy money."
Adam exhaled slowly, calming his breath. The poison continued to spread through his body, but his regeneration flared, purging the toxin. The wound on his neck healed in seconds—yet he pretended to remain weakened.
The first assassin lunged again, dagger gleaming with venom.
Adam reacted instantly, summoning his sword and parrying the strike.
CLANG!
Sparks burst as the blades collided. The assassin clicked his tongue in frustration, surprised the boy had blocked it.
Another assassin appeared behind Adam, daggers glowing faintly as wind swirled around him.
Adam turned swiftly, raising his arm just in time.
CLANG!
The strike clashed against his hidden armor, disguised to look like his clothing.
"What!?" the assassin gasped, taken aback. "Armor!?"
"Tch, this brat's full of tricks," muttered one of the earth users.
That one slammed his hands onto the ground. Earthen spikes erupted beneath Adam, aiming for his stomach, while another set of earthen shackles coiled around his legs and waist, trapping him.
The other assassins seized the opening, darting forward like shadows. Their blades flashed—slashes across his arms, legs, chest, and face.
Poison seeped into his wounds, and Adam fell to one knee, panting heavily.
Blood dripped from his cuts, staining the ground beneath him. The assassins sneered, believing the fight was already over.
The leader stepped forward, lightning crackling violently around him. His sword gleamed under the moonlight as he raised it high.
"You should've stayed in your place," he said coldly. "You would've lived longer."
He swung.
But when the blade met Adam's neck—
CLANG!
The sword stopped dead. Dark scales had formed around Adam's throat, unyielding. His eyes glowed fiercely.
[Sovereign's Aura]
An overwhelming force erupted from him. The ground cracked beneath his feet as a shockwave blasted outward, sending all five assassins flying back. The air itself grew heavy, vibrating under his power.
Adam's pupils narrowed into razor-thin slits that gleamed with primal, golden light.
Then it happened.
His dragonic mana surged violently, ancient and raw, twisting the very air. The ground trembled as black light pulsed through his veins.
A sound like cracking stone echoed through the forest as obsidian-black scales formed across his skin—smooth yet impossibly durable.
His hands clenched. His nails extended into curved, claw-like talons, each one glowing faintly with icy light.
His back split open as a pair of massive, scaled wings burst forth—midnight black, streaked with deep violet energy, humming with draconic might.
Curved horns grew from his temples, long and sharp, sweeping backward.
A long, obsidian tail unfurled behind him, armored in shimmering scales.
The assassins froze, their blood running cold.
"W-What is this!?" one of them stammered.
"This wasn't in the intel!" another shouted in panic.
They had expected to face a D-rank with Space and Ice affinity—nothing more. But this… this was something else entirely.
He looked like a dragon—one of the most powerful and feared races in existence. Their mere presence could shift the balance of power.
Yet here stood their target, radiating that same godlike presence.
The leader's voice trembled. "W-What are you?"
Adam barely heard him. His attention was on his new form. He flexed his claws, admiring the scales that shimmered beneath the moonlight.
After a moment, he lifted his gaze toward them. His lips curled into a faint, predatory smirk, revealing sharp, dragon-like teeth.
"Now then…" Adam's voice was low and resonant, carrying a deep, guttural growl that made the air itself vibrate. "Let's have a little fun, shall we?"
He spread his wings wide.
WHOOSH!
The force scattered leaves and dust into a whirlwind. With a single powerful beat, Adam launched himself into the air, the moonlight framing his silhouette.
A massive shadow loomed over the assassins below.